Yoga Made My 3 Labors a Lot Easier

I knew early on in my pregnancy with my first child that I didn’t want an epidural (no judgment, I just hate needles and didn’t want one in my spine!). So, I decided to look into various methods of natural pain management for labor and delivery. I focused mostly on Hypnobirthing, a mind-body relaxation technique that involves using visualization and affirmations to help drop you into a deep, deep meditation. My husband and I religiously practiced the breathing exercises, and he learned various massage tips to help me during labor.

I also continued to work out and practice yoga daily. When I was about three months along, I started prenatal yoga at a local baby center a few times a week. The 2-hour class was much slower than my regular hot vinyasa flow. But I found that the combination of Kegel exercises, breathing techniques, meditation, and simply talking with other mothers-to-be served me well in terms of managing the aches and pains of pregnancy.

It also did something else I didn’t expect: It prepared me for labor.

By the time I went into labor six months later, I’d been to Hypnobirthing class four times and practiced my affirmations for a few minutes every night. But I’d done so much more yoga--at least an hour every day. So, when my contractions started, I found myself relying on what I did in yoga class. I did hip circles to relieve tension and loosen up my tight muscles. When my back started aching, I went onto my knees and did Cat-Cow pose, which eased the pressure on my spine. I focused on my breath and moved my body in the gentle, easing ways we moved in yoga class. The Hypnobirthing techniques helped during early labor, but so did counting my breath in and evening out my exhales -- the breath we use in yoga.

Most of all, it was the movement that brought me the most relief. I found that every time I stayed still when a contraction hit, the pain increased. But when I moved -- in yogic ways and otherwise -- the pain lessened. That’s because movement brings focus into the parts of the body not being strained and stretched by the birthing process. By the time I got to the hospital, I was doing sun salutations to endure the contractions. My Hypnobirthing affirmations were useless during transition, but the movement and strength I’d acquired in prenatal yoga from the mock contractions (squats) and inward focus really helped me during the intense sensations.

Ultimately, it was the combination of Hypnobirthing and yoga that helped ease my labor pains, but if I could only have chosen one, it would have been yoga. My baby emerged healthy and happy and I had a quick recovery, which I attribute to the body awareness and control I built during my daily yoga practice. Over time the focus on the connection of breath to movement, the Kegels we practiced in child’s pose each day (strong muscles stretch better), and the strength I built in my warrior poses all contributed to an easier time on the big day.

Since then I have two more children; during each of my pregnancies I have practiced daily yoga. And while labor is never painless or easy, I’ve felt like the pain is manageable. Yoga teaches body control, breath control, and the moment-to-moment focus on the present, which makes labor pain tolerable. If every mom practiced daily yoga, labor might not be considered a painful event.

There is not a yogi alive who won’t tell you how the practice changed their life. I know. I am a yoga teacher. But the difference yoga made in bringing my children into the world can’t be understated. If you want an easy labor, spend the first nine months preparing your body with yoga. You won’t be sorry.

Sasha Brown-Worsham is a long-time editor and writer who has written for hundreds of publications. She is currently working on her first novel. She lives outside NYC with her husband and three children.